Avocado growers did well in 2003

The California Avocado Commission is set to capitalize on a year
of record gross income for the fruit and will review upcoming
challenges at two meetings later this month.

The commission, the research and promotion arm of the state
avocado crop, will convene Jan. 27 in Oxnard and Jan. 29 in
Temecula.

Jerome Stehly, commission chairman and a grower with numerous
North County groves of the fruit dubbed "green gold" for the prices
it brings, said 2003 yielded a record gross income for growers and
the third highest ever price per pound. Growers took in $363
million last year at an average price of $1.08 per pound.

"It was a very good year," Stehly said. "We had challenges with
the Mexican fruit fly quarantine in Valley Center and we had really
strong winds in February, but grower returns were still high and we
were able to pick avocados in quarantine areas and get them to
market."

Commission figures say California growers harvested 359 million
pounds of all varieties of avocados in 2002-03 with the majority
coming from San Diego, Ventura, Riverside, Santa Barbara and San
Luis Obispo counties. The crop year runs from Nov. 1 through Oct.
31.

San Diego County harvests the most avocados with more than
26,000 producing acres and 44 percent of the overall crop.

Bob Lucy, co-owner of Del Rey Avocado Company in Fallbrook, said
that in a typical year, the crops average about 350 million pounds.
The amount of fruit harvested depends on several factors, he
said.

Avocado trees need a lot of water and growers spend as much as
60 percent of their production budget on water costs.

The commission is predicting the 2003-04 crop will yield 385
million pounds of avocados of all varieties. The Hass avocado is
the dominant variety produced in California with nearly 55,000
acres producing almost 312 million pounds of fruit last year.

Lucy and Stehly cited rising worker's compensation costs and the
continuous battle against pests such as fruit flies, thrips and
mites as ongoing industry challenges.

Another major challenge facing local growers is the possibility
that the United States Department of Agriculture will allow Mexican
avocados into more of the United States, including California.
Mexican avocados are now allowed into 31 states for six months out
of the year.

Lucy said some fruit coming from Mexico has pests, especially
fruit flies, which are not a threat to the northern states because
the insects cannot survive the cold winters. The bugs die out
during the winter but, in the warmer states, they could easily
survive mild winters and spread to crops including avocados and
citrus.

"The California grower is concerned about the farmers," Lucy
said. "We are really trying to make sure we protect California,
Arizona, Texas and Florida because of the citrus. This still gives
Mexican growers a vast region (to sell their crops)."

Lucy and Stehly said they have no problem with free trade. They
pointed out the avocado commission has a successful partnership
with avocado growers in Chile. Chilean avocados are imported into
the states from October through January, during California's
off-season. Del Rey Avocado Company packages about 15 million
pounds of Chilean avocados each year.

Federal agricultural officials issued an analysis last year that
asserted there was not a high level of risk being posed by
importing Mexican fruit. The avocado commission found a variety of
flaws in the assessment, Stehly said, and asked for further
study.

"We slowed down their process," Stehly said. "They were on a
faster track, but we have shown them that their science isn't
perfect."

Stehly said the commission expects the USDA to make a decision
on importing Mexican fruit to more states later this year.

Aside from the import challenges, the commission is looking
forward to another successful marketing year. Stehly said avocados
have gained popularity over the past five years thanks to a savvy
marketing plan and public education.

"It's a matter of letting the public know that avocados are a
good fat," Stehly said. "They are a healthy part of your diet. We
also educate people on new ways to use avocados, like in
sandwiches. We are creating more growth in markets across the
nation, particularly in the Southeast."

Avocados are still more of a staple in the Southwest than
anywhere else in the country. But two days in particular are huge
selling days for the avocado industry -- Super Bowl Sunday and
Cinco de Mayo. For millions of hungry celebrators, nothing says
party like tortilla chips and guacamole.

Stehly still believes there is plenty of room to expand the
avocado market and he expects to address the issue at the board
meetings.

"Forty-eight percent of avocados are only eaten by 19 percent of
the population," Stehly said. "When you look at that, you know
there is a lot of growth potential in the market."